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Why Hair Transplants Are a Bad Idea - Miami, FL

Understand-Speaks-the-Truth

Not Worth It
Cost: $45,000
Miami, FL

Hair Transplants are a bad idea. I am a hair...

2 Jun 2012

Hair Transplants are a bad idea. I am a hair transplant veteran/victim (4 procedures) and I am writing this post to help anyone who is considering this procedure to think twice before doing it. In particular, I am addressing the young men around 30, who don't know what they are getting themselves into. My goal is to get a newbie to NOT rush into this as I did and consider the long-term implications of what they are doing.

These following points should all be considered:

1. There isn't enough hair. If you pour about $40,000 into it, you can get back maximum 25% of your original density. That's it. About 7,500 grafts. It's nothing. Trust me. All you'll be able to do is have a real nice combover. That's about it.

2. The hairs are going to thin and age. This will render the cosmetically insignificant. If you transplant them at 30 years of age, they will not have the same cosmetic impact when you are older. They will look like unmanageable weeds.

3. The donor area will thin over time. This is the horrible truth hair transplant doctors don't tell you. The hairs in the back of your head will start thinning, too. Eventually, you will have the head of any regular old man - except for the giant strip scar or pock-mark dots of the hair transplants.

4. Propecia and other medicines don't work. Don't let the doctors lie to you. Propecia eventually stops working (Merck only ran their studies for five years - the point when they knew it stopped working) and your hair loss will continue. Minoxidil is absolutely worthless. Those are the only "proven" weapons in the arsenal and neither works.

5. New procedures like FUE have lower yields than strip and a host of other risks associated with them. You will never get your old hair back, so don't be fooled by the so-called advances in hair restoration surgery.

Take these five points, add them together and you'll get the simple fact. There is nothing you can really do about your hair loss. Better to shave your head and accept it.

The only qualifier? Hair transplants are excellent for very insecure individuals that want weeds on their head and a giant scar in the back when they become old men. If that fits your profile, then by all means have a hair transplant. If, on the other hand, you want to age like Bruce Willis or Andre Agassi, bald and handsome, let Mother Nature take her course and work on other parts of your life.

The truth is coming out about hair transplants. The number of transplants has come down since the heyday of 2000. (Real Self conveniently provides these stats so check them out) Please don't become another victim like me. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't regret what I did and wish I could just shave my head down.

Great review?

Comments (38)

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Health Travels 7 May 2013

I have also bookmarked you for checking out new posts which is related to cheap hair transplant.

LuCont 3 Apr 2013

Man I remember reading your topic around August last year and it nearly made me decide NOT to go ahead with my transplant. I think you made some very valid points. Especially thinning of donor, lower FUE yields or a FUT scar made me reluctant. LUCKILY I continued researching and found Dr Gho, from HASCI in the Netherlands. He offers a technique called HST, which is scarless, has FUT-like yields and best of all, has donor regeneration (80% of the donor grafts grow back !). Had my procedure in November and am extremely happy so far. Research him and his technique !!

bobbby 4 Apr 2013

I researched Dr Gho and it seems he has mixed reviews from previous clients. I'm excited to see what future result's will yield. That's phenomenal that you had successful results LuCont! I'm guessing you didn't have too much hair loss? Is the "80% grow back rate" consistent with your results?

LuCont 4 Apr 2013

Hi Bobby. I'm at almost 5 months now and my recipient is growing really well. About my donor, it LOOKS untouched to me but it's very difficult to tell without shooting tons of highres pictures. Next time I will do just do. Yes, next time, since I'm definately going back for more :) I know some reviews are mixed but I don't have any doubt this is THE biggest invention since FUE. Also academic literature ist starting to write about this concept. Google: wound-induced follicle neogenesis

LuCont 4 Apr 2013

Sorry, google: wound-induced follicle neogenesis stem cells

bobbby 3 Apr 2013

I have opted to not get a hair transplant as I have had the privilege to work on and hear stories of at least 50-100 men's personal stories. My conclusion is not enough coverage and you're left with a scar that will almost always be noticeable. www.tattoohairdo.com Yes, I'm promoting myself, but I am on your side, I was once bald. I speak the truth. I am wearing my product. My product WILL fix or enhance any and every transplant everytime. I am not a doctor or salesman. I am an advocate for hair loss sufferers as I am one.

clarence2 10 Feb 2013

To me this seems like the author - although reasonably concerned of those who lose it young and lose it hard - is willing to write off the idea of hair transplants altogether, overlooking that guys simply set their goals too high to begin with. Improvement in the hairline or in the crown is compromised, when a guy is hard set on having both of them restored, rather than forgoing the other. Guys who also decide that they're going to get a perfectly straight Brad Pitt hair line will also often soon find themselves landed on the HT threadmill, even if many of these could have probably managed their current hairstyle with a smaller procedure just to give the hair line a little bit more definition, which I believe can often be done with 500(!) grafts if you're past your 20s and the forelock isn't yet badly affected. But of course, the younger the patient, the greater the risk of having to deal with the scarring issue.

babyhair 27 Nov 2012

Is there any sort of treatment to heal damaged areas where they hair use to grow from. Only some of my hair fell out during my chemo therapy and not all of it grew back in. I have thin hair as if I was a baby. It has been 8 years since and still no sine of any growth from where my hair use to grow, my hair is still thin. I also have a thyroid problem too if that matters or not with my hair growth that I have now.

P13_ski 4 Mar 2013

I believe that's the way Rogaine works over time, if you can be bothered to keep applying it topically. I don't know how it might interact with other medications, best check with the doctor.

Geminidb8 28 Oct 2012

I can understand peoples disappointment in the Hair Transplant Field. It is a bad industry that covers up for itself. I have had over 30 operations. Yes 30 dating back to 1986. I had several scalp reductions, punch grafting, strip and even a technique called the Hairlift that was a flap procedure and the worst of all. I wore a hairpiece for 14 years since I was scarred so severely. I saw and read about Dr. Woods one day on the Internet and thought what the hell. I went to Australia in 2007 and had two Beard Hair transplants into the back and the sides to see how well they would grow. He did tell me that I would get an improvement but not sure how much. It grew in very well but I still needed a ton of work. I kept saving and going back to Australia for 3 more years and had 12 corrective surgeries in all. Now for the first time I have a Decent look. It is not anywhere near a full head of hair but he did not hurt me in any way what so ever. I have no dots either but he did warn me that It was a possibility. I have much less beard now and less body hair as he did transplant chest hair as well. I only had 750 scalp hairs but the growth rate was excellent. I do not know what to say for those who Hate baldness as much as I do but a scarred head is even worse in many aspects. Though bald still is not something I would have ever been able to accept. For me I am grateful I have what I do but it is not perfect but acceptable and I can style it and grow it long or short. Better than bald any day but not like the original head of hair which I never expected to get back. It was very expensive but worth it for me. Though most transplants are garbage and not worth it. Be very careful and try any option before going under the knife.

Understand-Speaks-the-Truth 28 Oct 2012

Gemini, Thank you for your comment. I'm sure it will help so many others that may be considering a hair transplant. I think your comment is excellent in highlighting how expensive and time consuming hair transplants can be. A lot of potential marks don't realize how their hair won't stop falling out and that it won't stop getting thinner, turning white, and aging in general. As I've stated before, all the heads on the hair are dying it's just that some are dying faster than others. The essence of the scam is to convince the mark to live for the here and now and not worry about the inevitable end. We (the marks) are so insecure that we fall for it hook, line and sinker. In a world with more than a billion balding men, there are just a few hundred thousand stupid and desperate enough to let these butchers have a go at scarring them for life. I think your comment also points out the risks associated with these procedures. Your head is all scarred up. Your beard has been reduced and so has the hair on your body. You've had to alter large parts of your God-given image to try to restore a small area that represents no more than a small percent of your total body. To do this you've had invest a life's fortune and sacrificed in pain, time and scars, both physical and emotional. I'm glad it's worked out for you more or less. At the same time, I'm glad your comment is honest enough to help dissuade potential victims of this scam. Bald isn't necessarily beautiful. But if you are confident, strong, and wealthy trust me the beauty will come from within. Read "Open" and ee Agassi's struggles with baldness before he accepted it and moved on with his life. If he can overcome it, then any of us can.

Geminidb8 3 Apr 2013

I would mostly Agree with you Understand. The potential downsides of surgery last a lifetime. However I feel that even today I just could never accept bald. I will be 48 in June and am now even more comfortable with my hair. I have something to frame my face and can cut and style it. I suppose if one can accept being bald then so be it. My own father started wearing hair at 58 years of age after being bald at 25. He said he was never happy or able to accept it. He was a wealthy man whose name was in "Whos Who in the East". Wealth though can't make a person happy. Security financially yes but emotionally no. Hair is the way to go, but I will say that you are very correct that a scared head that is disfigured is even worse. For sure. I fought baldness every step of the way and even now I take Avodart both Topically and Orally, Use a Laser Comb and get PRP Treatments to keep up. I must also state I do feel much better with Hair. No Comparison as to without. It just gives you that extra edge and I feel complete when I leave my home now. I was never ever happy before it though. I was devastated. Andre Agassi looked better with hair but the ordeal of wearing hair is a pain. I did it for many years and looked ok but too much maintenance, Be careful of Surgery though as You must get an excellent Doctor and only have FUE. A strip scar will bother you. I had tattooing done also but it turned blue. I had to have it removed with a lazer. I do think that Baldness at a young age will be devastating to anyone. Getting older helps a bit but still some will never be able to cope with it. That is why the Toupee places and all of the other Hair Replacement industries will never die.

Ldjs77 30 Sep 2012

I just turned 34. Been suffering from receding hairline for since I was 20. I've had the same haircut for almost 15 years "terminator style" trying to hide or diminish the obvious! I'm 34 and still single. My point is... If I get a HT and it lasts me say 10 12 years... Wouldn't it be worthy? I tend to lean towards yes! I could use the break. I know the best solution would be to stop fighting it accept the fact that I'm going to be bald but idk let me at least get married first? I don't expect to have a full head of hair when I'm 60! In fact I don't even care if I'm bald when in 60! I just don't want to be bald when I'm in my mid thirties and still single. Does that make sense? Thanks for your views advice and the passion you put into your reviews, very thorough

Hair Starting to Thin 2 Sep 2012

Thanks for all of your comments. I've been sitting on the fence about having a hair transplant, having a lot of doubts, and doing a lot of research. I'm not convinced and your comments have helped. I'm older (55) but my hair started thinning a lot the past year. Please post updates on your progress with Dutasteride. Thanks, again.

Understand-Speaks-the-Truth 3 Sep 2012

First, I'd like to say that I'm glad my comments have helped. I'm sure a hair transplant doctor would read my comments and cringe. This is not what they want potential patients to hear. I absolutely will pull no punches. Nevertheless, I do try to be objective and always qualify my statements as much as possible.

My counsel to you as a victim/veteran is to start where the hair transplant doctor starts when he wakes up in the morning: cold hard cash. Make no mistake, money is why they got into the business and they care much more about the almighty $$$ than they do your physical or cosmetic well-being. So you have to reason the same way.

How much money do you have to pour into this enterprise? Most men think they only need to go in once or twice. Trust me. You will need to go in much more than that as your hair loss progresses. I've been in five times for surgeries and once for scar revision. I'm up to $45,000 and will probably pour another $20,000 in FUE surgeries before it's all said and done. The back of my head is completely scarred. The hairs all over have turned thin, wiry, and are getting white. I'm 36. I have no idea where this story will end. I wake up every morning just hoping the donor region itself doesn't thin further over time. I keep making compromises and asking for less and less as time goes on. In the end, I know that I'll be in a good place if the scar isn't visible when I am your age.

So the question you have to ask yourself is how far and how much money you are willing to put into this journey (knowing full well that it has a high probability of ending in failure). If you have north of $50,000 to pour into it, then at least you have the cash at hand. Trust me. You don't want to end up having to keep saving up for the next procedure and the one after that and the one after that. It's demoralizing to work all year just to give a part of it away to a hair transplant doctor. Last year, I gave up about $8,000 to have my head butchered one more time. I'm so tired of hair, hair transplants, medicines that mess with my hormones, scam treatments like PRP, shampoos, and (more than anything) dealing with hair transplant doctors, their staff, and the industry in general. Think about it before you do it. A hair transplant won't just be a one-off event.
It will keep going and going as your hair loss progresses.

Beyond this, I wanted to address your statement that you say you are thinning. That word "thinning" can mean two things: (1) there is less hair on your head; (2) the hairs are actually becoming thin, grey, and dead looking. The two events are related and both affect how your hair looks. If you hair is already starting to look thin and wiry in addition to falling out, then it is most likely that you are progressing at a fast rate. You could lose it in the next 2-3 years or hold out a bit longer, but it's going to go no matter what. Look at Agassi, it took him just a few years in the late 90's to go NW5. Trust me. When it really starts to go, it doesn't take long.

If that's the case, I recommend you don't get a hair transplant. The next 10 years of your life will be a living hell trying to catch up to it. I speak from experience. The last 8 years of my youth have been spent fighting a losing war. These are my peak earning years and I've been emotionally, psychologically, and financially distracted by this story. Obviously, I wish I had known better. I really fell for all the lies. I absolutely do not want anyone else to walk into those clinics as blind as I was to the truth.

The Dustateride has neither helped nor hurt me after 2 months of use. I'm grateful it has not led to erectile dysfunction. I'm not sure it's an improvement over finasteride. I can tell you it's much more expensive. Remember you take a risk with either. Merck claims only 2% of those taking Propecia will experience erectile dysfunction. Based on what I've read, I;m sure that number is higher - probably between 5-10%. Scary stuff.

Honestly, I would say just leave it alone. It's all in your head - the insecurity, the constant worrying about your hair, the constant looking in the mirror. Hair transplants won't get rid of it. In fact, it will make it worse. You'll still be looking in the mirror and combing your hair over. Only you'll be doing it with a lot less money in your pocket.

Just a quick ironic story before I wrap this up. For years, I used to look at Sean Connery's hair in the 60's Bond movies and ask myself how he ended up looking like he did in the 3rd Indiana Jones movie. I used to tell myself, "Well, at least he had a full head of hair in his 30's." It was only last year that I found out that he wore a wig in all those Bond movies. He once commented that he didn't care because it was just a character anyway. I was so shocked and then it hit me - Connery was never insecure about how he looked. As he lost his hair, he never cared or worried. Maybe that is why he's aged so well. Maybe the same thing applies to Bruce Willis and so many others. The good looks comes from the confidence which comes from inside. That is all any of us really need. Our minds will be free to build our wealth, health and happiness.

It took me 8 years to realize it was all in my head. It was just me being insecure and letting this crooked industry exploit me and empty my bank account repeatedly.

It's cruel to offer false hope and deceive people the way the hair transplant industry does. These doctors are butchers who are getting rich by ruining the lives of so many of their patients. They are the medical equivalent of Wall Street brokers. Some of them like Bernstein in N.Y. or Umar in CA are completely bald. The irony is incredible. These men are bald but are performing transplants on others. Ridiculous. Just like Wall Street brokers that won't buy the stocks they recommend, they don't believe in the product they sell to go under the knife themselves.

I hope all of this helps. In the end, you may get results from a hair transplant. However, the insecurity that is driving you (and not Bruce Willis or Jason Statham) to get one will not be solved by a hair transplant. Think about that before you pour a ton of money and make a huge emotional commitment to a war against Father Time that in the end you cannot win.

bobbby 3 Apr 2013

tattoohairdo.com my friend. I can help in HUGE ways.

seewhite 21 May 2013

Reading all of these comments saddens me, but I can't put my finger on why exactly. On screen and off I see men with full heads of hair who look old and crappy all the same. And I see men who look handsome, rugged and verile with receeding hair or bald: Jason Statham, Bruce Willis, Patrick Stewart, Ed Harris...these guys would actually look funny and wrong with hair--ok, Willis looked fine with receeding hair, but not better than now. Superior health and a confident swagger play a huge role in the finished product of a man. I wonder whether one can feel that confidence knowing that what one has is fake or unnatural (transplant or rug). I feel like each of us has a duty to do the best with what we were given (and to NOT spend our hard-earned money on junk procedures and products that do nothing but make purveyors of snake oil rich). Be healthy (exercise and eat right), be clean, learn how to dress, adopt a little swagger (not too big though), find a flattering hairstyle that makes the best of what you have--without concealment. I don't always think that shaving it all off is best; I think that's a myth. Everytime I go too short, I get negative comments--and it looks way, way thinner because it's always been fine. My hair is just like Jude Law's was maybe 5 years ago, wavy and naturally making a curly faux hawk (and looking way better longer). I hit Norwood 2 in my late 20s and have held in the same place for 20 years now (which I attribute to my being a fitness fanatic). On a good hair day with a good haircut, my fine hair blows up to look like I have no hair loss at all (with maybe 15% gray). On a bad day or wet it looks like Scott Cann's, with noticable temple recession. I'm fairly lucky, but I will NEVER get a transplant or wear a wig. To paraphrase Thoreau, give me truth, even though it be mean. There is dignity in the thing at least. And if a woman is shallow enough that she can't get past your having imperfect hair, then shame on her; she is beneath your dignity, man. Real men do not look like Eunics or boys...they look like the guys mentioned in my entry...and they look like me and you.

P13_ski 20 Aug 2012

I've been taking finasteride for 15 years (on and off). I started on Propecia but soon switched to generic 5mg brands because in my country the govt bargains to reduce the price for consumers, hence generic pill-cutter treatment costs $15 a month, whereas Propecia, being viewed as "non medical" is still around $80 a month. I've heard that may not be the case in other countries (ie USA).

It has worked for me to a reasonable extent, compared to my brother who is pretty bald whereas I just have a high hairline. I know of one friend who ceased taking it because of sexual dysfunction concerns. I've never experienced that personally myself. I can't compare myself to any other men as it's not something we men talk about much.

I'm sure Finasteride does lose its effectiveness over time. As it almost never works on the forehead, most men's hair will continue to naturally recede in that area, and ithat eventually that will clinch it. It's unfortunate, but it's in the same ballpark as 99% of the treatments in RealSelf. They all cease to work over time.

I have to say I'm one of the ones who is a bit disappointed that medical science hasn't found a cure by now. They've managed to fix so many other things, like ulcers and short sightedness. It would be great to finally put all these hair transplant charlatans out of business. Just wishful thinking...

Understand-Speaks-the-Truth 21 Aug 2012

Yeah. I feel you. II switched to Dutasteride recently to see if it provides any kind of improvement as it's supposed to block even more DHT (99% as opposed to 65% for Propecia). Of course, I'm worried about possible side effects.

Once your locked into this nightmare it's impossible to get out. If you started going through hair loss at an older age, then you got lucky. I'm 36 and it's been a nightmare. The crazy thing is that I no longer look at a guy with a full head of hair with envy. I look at the guy with his head shaved and wonder what could have been.

Hair transplants are pure evil as far I'm concerned.

P13_ski 18 Aug 2012

It's interesting that the famous Steve Jobs poster (holding his chin) is obviously touched up.

Understand-Speaks-the-Truth 18 Aug 2012

Excellent point. I didn't really notice as I was posting up the links. The picture has clearly been touched up so that the mid-scalp region looks black and thick. In addition, the black and white allows for less contrast and makes the touch up work stand out more.

Once again, it proves that pictures are completely deceiving when it comes to hair. Hair looks different from different angles and under different lighting. Hair transplant doctors/butchers continually exploit this reality when they market their scam to the public.

P13_ski 20 Aug 2012

Thanks.

I find reading your last comments thought provoking, all pretty valid except I believe the Finasteride (aka Propecia) does work on some people, and there is scientific evidence for that. Admittedly it only works on the crown not the front of the head, some people have unwanted side effects, it's unconfirmed on men over 40, but it works often enough to be worthwhile taking for a lot of people. I know personally that it works because I ran out several months back, didn't have time to get a new script, and had a noticeable deterioration.

The biggest negative used to be the expense, at about $100 a month, but with generic brands of the 5mg version, and the pill cutting technique, it's cheap enough to be at least worth maintaining a few years to see if it works.

I'm not saying it's for everyone, but it's not a con.

Understand-Speaks-the-Truth 20 Aug 2012

I appreciate your comment, and I completely agree with what you're saying. In fact, your response highlights the complexity of hair loss and all of the grey areas that the hair transplant industry exploits to confuse its potential patients/victims.

For the record, I never said that Propecia doesn't work at all. What I did say is that it stops working over time. It won't give what a young man wants to hear: that it will hold the hair (both hair count and quality) he has and that the transplants will fill in the rest so that the war against hair loss can be truly won.

Follow the links if you don't believe me. Here is a simple search under "Propecia Stops Working Over Time" run on Yahoo:

http://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=A0oGdSUdLDJQqBkAiaNXNyoA?p=propecia%20stops%20working%20over%20time&fr2=sb-top&fr=yfp-t-701-s

This one is from William Rassman's Balding Blog. I love how he disclaims that he ever said that Propecia stops hair loss. Hair transplant doctors leave enough grey areas in their statements to extract themselves later on. But in this post he says the truth: there is no cure for hair loss and the balding will continue. Again, it goes back to what I wrote above on how unrealistic these so-called doctors are and how they are taken chances with our long-term cosmetic appearance.

http://www.baldingblog.com/2009/07/13/if-propecia-doesnt-stop-working-why-am-i-thinning-after-10-years/

The final point you said is that it is not a con. Depends on how you look at that if you are in the unfortunate minority that suffers from erectile dysfunction because of it. I could post a bunch of links up but this one from a legal website will do the trick. Propecia is getting sued by people that have had adverse side effects.

http://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/articles/propecia/propecia-help-finasteride-lawsuit-9-17163.html

How long have you been on Propecia? More than 10 years? If you have managed to maintain your hair on Propecia for more than 10 years then you are in the minority.

Overall, Propecia is a lot of money and significant risk ("Great! I have my hair to attract to get the girls, but my equipment doesn't work!) to try to preserve a few crown hairs and the donor region in the back for just a little while longer from their inevitable death.

P13_ski 4 Mar 2013

I started taking Finasteride when I was 30, so 17 years now. I was aware of the risks when I first started it, there was plenty of literature, and it seemed clear that any medication, especially one which affected male hormones, implies risk. I've experienced changed levels of testosterone over the 17 years, that's partly age, partly a fairly sedentary lifestyle, and yes probably the drug. I agree that it will likely stop working over time, as continuous medication often does. That has not been the case with me, I've witnessed ups and downs especially when I ceased it, but it has always been more effective than nothing. I was later surprised to hear some men report permanent sexual function damage. It's hard to know the truth. Sexual function can be affected by so many factors.. age, marriage, kids, sedentary lifestyle. But I agree with you in that if a person's sex life is important to their sense of well-being, which it is for most, then they have to carefully consider the risks of any drug that may change it. Did Merck fail to inform people enough? I don't know, I feel I was informed enough, or perhaps I'm just very skeptical.

Understand-Speaks-the-Truth 17 Aug 2012

I finally have some time to write at length, so I thought I would post further on hair transplants as it is my mission to help others not go down this path without fully considering all of the long-term implications.

First, I'd like to thank all of those that commented in reply to my main post. I appreciate it. I'm here on Real Self to help clarify the misconceptions and factual inaccuracies (shall I just call them flat-out lies?) promoted by the hair transplant industry. The hair transplant industry is a fraud and disgrace. I wish for my posts to act a reality check, that anyone can cash. A few minutes of reading can potentially save another victim years of physical, financial and emotional suffering.

Fortunately, Real Self is a truly reputable website that will allow an open and honest discussion of different cosmetic surgeries. I recently read my posts and I'm quite sure I would have been booted off a lot of the pro-hair transplant sites a long time ago. At the end of the day, they are interested in $$$ and don't want any dissenting opinions. Here on Real Self, I'm grateful for the chance to speak freely about hair transplants.

So what is the truth about hair transplants?

Look, I will say it again and again until the proverbial cows come home...

Hair transplants are at best a semi-permanent and ultimately ineffective solution to a long-term cosmetic problem. The reason for this is simple: 1. there just isn't enough hair; 2. the hair that is transplanted will continue to thin, whiten and die till it is cosmetically worthless. These realities cannot be avoided and there is no medication or treatment that will stop it. With a hair transplant you are fighting a losing war that you will NOT win in the long term.

This is where one will hear a lot of "But..." statements come in. I will comment on a couple of them in this post and then on others in later posts.

Some of the biggest misconceptions include:

- "But what about the pictures on the websites of hair transplant doctors. The patients seem to have a full head of hair. If a doctor can get results like that, then I want a hair transplant."

-- Pictures on hair transplant doctor websites cannot be trusted. Pictures are taken from particular angles and in controlled lighting with the hair styled in a particular way. Beyond this, you are seeing the doctor's very best results, not the ordinary results. In short, you are not getting a realistic idea of a likely outcome of your surgery. This applies to ALL hair transplant doctors. No hair transplant doctor will take a picture of results in bright sunlight with the hair tussled about instead of combed over. None.

- "But what about Propecia and minoxidil? I'm taking those. They'll hold my hair and the transplants will fill in the rest."

-- Yep. That might be the biggest lie of all. That's the one I fell for 8 years ago. Now the doctors have added lasers, PRP, A-cell, and possibly Latisse to the armory of worthless snake oil that will not stop your hair loss in the long-run. Propecia even carries a risk of impotence (erectile dysfunction) with it.

Think about it. If these medicines worked, then there would be no bald people. Young men would just take them and - "Presto!" - baldness would be a thing of the past. Not happening. Propecia has been around for more than a decade now and men are still going bald. Propecia may work for a little while (5 years or so) but then your hair will continue to die. Minoxidil might help to keep it thick and dark for a little while, but eventually they will turn thin and old. The other junk is experimental and have no proven cosmetic benefits. Nothing is going to stop the progression of your hair loss. A potential hair transplant patient needs to accept and understand this fundamental reality.

- "But what about the surgical skill of the doctor. I'm planning on going to a top doctor in the field. I know he will give me good results. I just know it."

-- With hair transplants, the bad doctor is always the other guy's doctor. What I mean is that most men are ashamed or embarrassed to comment on their hair transplants if they are not satisfied (so you won't hear them comment). I know this because it took me years to accept the truth and then have the courage to tell the world about it. If I had to guess, I would imagine that 80% of hair transplant patients will regret their surgeries in the long run (10-20 years) after the baldness has run its course. Also, there are many men who will claim to be satisfied with their hair transplants even if the cosmetic results are terrible (but they won't post pics). These poor men represent the saddest and most extreme cases of male insecurity (hair transplant doctors love them as patients) and even a few weeds on their domes will make them happy. Next, you do have those legitimately good results (the top 5%) that sell the product for the industry. Mostly, these are younger guys that have poured their life savings (often in excess of $50,000) into hair transplants. Of course, they are still young so we don't know the long term results of their hair transplants when the hairs age and thin. Finally, you have all the patient reps (shall we call them paid shills?) posting bogus stories all over the Internet promoting either a specific doctor, the industry at large, or both. It's a common industry practice and hair transplant clinics do it regularly. This is how shameless and unethical this industry is. They need to lie constantly to reel in another batch of suckers.

- "But my doctor tells me I have great donor hair. He mapped my hair our for minituarization, and he says I'm an excellent candidate for a hair transplant."

- Yep. I fell for that one, too. My first doctor told me the same bull manure. It is next to impossible to look at the back of a man's head and predict where the baldness is going to go. Not only can you not tell where the hair will stop falling out, but you also can't tell what the color and quality of the hair will look like long term. In addition, you may suffer from diffuse balding which means all of your hair will start to thin out in the donor region.

These so-called doctors are nothing but snake oil salesmen who are lying to you. They cannot predict what will happen to your hair. No one can. Only your genes and DNA will be the ultimate arbiter of how your hair will thin and die out.

Don't believe me? Let's take a look at a potential patient. His name is Steve Jobs.

The link below shows you many pictures of Steve Jobs when was a young man with long thick black hair at about age 25.

http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=AgPz7bEqBKQBTppQbGukqUebvZx4?p=steve+jobs+young&toggle=1&cop=mss&ei=UTF-8&fr=yfp-t-701

This link shows you Steve Jobs as an older man at 50 years old.

http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=A2KJkP3VGi9QuXcAto2JzbkF?p=steve%20jobs%20pictures&fr=yfp-t-701&ei=utf-8&n=30&x=wrt&fr2=sg-gac&sado=1

Look at the quality of the hair. It's completely changed. It's not thick, it's not long, it's not black and it's not straight. It's thin, wiry, see through and cosmetically worthless. What kind of hair (and how much?) do you think you could get out of the back of Steve Jobs head that would make a major cosmetic difference on the top of his head? Be realistic and think clearly. The end result of multiple hair transplants would at best make Steve Jobs look the same but with a few weeds on his head. Plain and simple.

I'll stop here. I think I've made my point clear enough for now. However, I am painfully aware (as a victim myself) that I will have to keep repeating it to reach even a fraction of the readers reading these posts. I was also once so insecure that almost nothing would have dissuased me from going under the knife. I now realize I was a pathetic and vain loser, emptying out my bank account for a pipe dream sold to me by the most disreputable industry in cosmetic surgery.

Think about it all of this before you do the same. If Steve Jobs, with his billions of dollars, never felt the need to get a hair transplant, then ask yourself why you, with limited funds, need one. In the long run it's not going to make any real difference in your life. It won't stop the passage of time or your aging. You're going grow old and go bald. Face it. Accept it. You can be bald naturally or bald with the back of your head all scarred up (even with FUE).

Sorry to run on. Hope this helps some of the fence sitters. If you go under the knife, there is no turning back. Hair loss will become your life and a financial and emotional drain that will follow you the rest of your life. Trust me. You don't want that.

Good luck to all. And feel free to comment (even if you disagree). The more we talk about it, the more we can get at the truth. The truth - that is and will always remain the most important thing when dealing with an industry that survives on deceptive business practices.